Commentary: Champions Tour stop belongs in S.A.

1of4Esteban Toledo of Mexico in action during the second round of the Senior Open Championship on July 22, 2016 in Carnoustie, Scotland.Photo: Phil Inglis /Getty Images

2of4Esteban Toledo of Mexico in action during the first round of the Senior Open Championship July 21, 2016 in Carnoustie, Scotland.Photo: Phil Inglis /Getty Images

3of4Esteban Toledo of Mexico in media interview during the first round of the Senior Open Championshipon July 21, 2016 in Carnoustie, Scotland.Photo: Phil Inglis /Getty Images

4of4Esteban Toledo of Mexico in action during the second round of the Swiss Seniors Open on July 2, 2016 in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.Photo: Phil Inglis /Getty Images

Editor’s note: The Harvey-Cleary Pro-Am is Thursday and Friday at TPC San Antonio. It is not open to the public, but serves as a place-holder/sponsor attraction for the San Antonio Championship, a PGA Champions Tour event not on the schedule this year.

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I remember my first Champions Tour event vividly. I received a call from San Antonio Championship (then AT&T Championship) director Colby Callaway to invite me to play in the PGA Champions Tour event in San Antonio on a sponsor’s exemption.

The event has been in the city since 1985, when Don January took home the trophy. A storied tournament for the city, to say the least.

On that day when Colby called with the offer, and still to this day, I had more gratitude than I could adequately explain. The opportunity to play on the tour is not one to be taken lightly. It’s an honor for every one of us.

Colby showed his belief in me, and I was lucky enough to have the chance to play in San Antonio. It led to more opportunities and wins on the tour, and since, I’ve been back in San Antonio four more times to play. This week being my fifth.

San Antonio is without a spot on the Champions Tour schedule this year, and we need that to change.

This city is one of my favorite stops on the tour, and my bet is that any of the other players would say the same. Twenty-four of us will be in town for the Harvey-Cleary Pro-Am to spend time playing and visiting with the amateur players taking part, local companies supporting and the charities benefiting from this event that was scheduled in order to show the San Antonio community the importance of keeping the tour here by way of the San Antonio Championship.

As players, we believe that we should have a tournament in San Antonio. We love San Antonio. We love TPC and the JW Marriott. The course is amazing — one of a kind. We love playing here. We love the crowds on the course. We’ll do anything in our power to stay here. It’s a pleasure and an honor to play here. The opportunity to support local charities, like Feherty’s Troops First, is so important. We want to play for our San Antonio fans. We want to educate the young players growing up in the game. We want to raise more money — millions of dollars — for Champions Charities, local charities that make a difference in this community.

That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re playing.

We can work together to have a wonderful partnership again with this city and the corporate sponsors who make this possible. I want to give back to the community that supported me and helped me. And I know every other player on the tour — from former champs Fred Funk and Tom Weiskopf to World Golf Hall of Famers Hale Irwin and David Graham, who will also be here with me this weekend — want the same thing.

We want to play in San Antonio.

I haven’t forgotten that San Antonio gave me my first sponsor exemption. We all want to be here, so we will travel here this week in hopes of finding the next title sponsor for the San Antonio Championship. Let’s keep the Champions Tour in San Antonio. Let’s keep making an impact, keep bringing legends, keep raising money.

Who will be the next company or corporation to step up and keep this tournament where it belongs? San Antonio belongs on the Champions Tour schedule. Let’s bring it back.

Esteban Toledo, a native of Mexico, is a member of the PGA Champions Tour, sporting four career victories.